Cutting Lexan
 

What are some diferent ways to cut Lexan without using special tools?

Im making the esc and battery trays for my revo, using 3/16" lexan, a sharp knife and the score/snap method. Ive made 3 cuts that took more effort than I thought would it would take. Ive seen lexan knives in the hardware store. would they make the task any easier?

get lexan scissors. u can get straight or curved and they cost about $10 and cut lexan like butter

I've never had trouble with the score-and-break method. I score each side twice to make sure the score is deep enough, put the excess piece over a flat corner, clamp it down, and snap it off. Every once in a while, there might be an imperfection that I'll touch up with a dremel, but I'm kinda anal about having straight edges and perfectly rounded corners...

@Wallot: Can lexan scissors cut thicker stuff, like 1/8" +?? Are you thinking body lexan scissors?

how thick are we talking in mm around 5??

i got some 6mm plastic that im using for a servo mount and atm it keeps melting when i go to cut it, so any advice will be much appreciated here :027:

i like to use a durbro lexan sizzors. for just 12 bucks at your lhs you get the sizzors and a body reamer. these are good but for small indintations they are hard to cut. yesterday i used a dremal to cut out my body. very time consuming but the result was a perfect hole in the back of my 18t body.

Not lexan bodys. Lexan sheets. Like plexiglass.

I thinks thats the problem. I dont have a workbench so im doing all this on top of a wood board on my living room floor:p. Cant wait to move. I havent been scoring both sides though.

4mm exactly. Are you using a saw? I read that your suposed to run water over the blade.

sorry man just realized it was thick lexan not the lexan the body's are made from. in this case use the scoring method, scroll saw, or a dermal with cutting wheel.

im gunna try the snapping method :032: wish me luck

ya it defo needs water or something, it just starts melting, problem is trying to set that up lol no idea how to do tht... o well only straight cuts for me now so hopefully it will be ok

what kinda knife you all using??

well I use lexan body scissors for cutting anything plastic I need and some stuff is 3mm (about 1/8"). for thicker material i would try scissors for metal.

For my revo battery mounts I used about 3/16" plastic cut by my dremel with cutoff discs. I then rounded out the edges with a grinder.

If using a saw, you have to use a serrated blade at low speed if you don't want to melt the plastic. Also, take small "bites" and back off to let the plastic cool. You could also try a miterbox, but the score and snap method seems to work the best for me and doesn't require a lot of work - just a sharp knife...

I think i might try that. Edges with a bullnosed finish would be nice.

Yeah, here is mine as of now:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...n/DSCN1609.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...n/DSCN1612.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...n/DSCN1613.jpg

For that thickness i use my table or ban saw, with a blade made for cutting plastic. A router works very well also.

I try to stay away from power tools when cutting plastic. I think it's more of a PITA than it's worth. If you don't want to use the score a snap method, try a hacksaw with a fine blade.

If you use the right cutting tool it's acctually eaiser. A coping saw with a fine blade maybe better than a hack saw. The blade is very felxible & cuts turns very eaisly.

It's all opinion, lets not start a flamewar now.

I'm not flaming at all just stating my opinion . for me presonally it's eaiser.

To each his own. Plastic is relatively soft. It heats up quickly and melts and the possibility of making a mistake is greater.

Believe me, if i can turn it on a lathe, mill it, grind it, or cut it with a power tool, I'm there. Hand tools just work better for me when working with lexan.

Looks good redhatman:cool: . I also bought 2 sets of the associated battery cups,but realized that they will not fit the lipo I plan to use:rolleyes: .

I scored the otherside of the piece and they snapped very easily. Some of the score lines did not match up so im probably gonna round all of them off after all.

Is the lexan we are using to fab out chassis components similar to lexan used for r/c bodys? Im thinking of painting the underside of my esc mount and battery trays. Will polycarb paint work on the thick lexan sheets.

yes, thick lexan = thin lexan = polycarbonate...lol.

The special RC paint is meant for lots and lots of flexing so it doesnt chip. You may even be able to get away with regular paint, as long as it isnt going to flex much.

Yeah I figured as much. I was worried if any certian type of paint will cause the lexan to "fog".

Im using my pocket knife. The blade is thick and has a clip point thats pretty sharp, I should say "was pretty sharp". Works fine now that Im scoring both sides.

Good Luck!

The scoring method works great on the thin stuff, but i've never tried it on the thicker stuff to see how it works.

You could try plasti-dip spray - It came out really good on my e-revo.

Another tip is to cut down an old rustler or stampede chassis for the battery tray... Again this worked great as it provides lots of protection is perfectly sized and bolts straight to the chassis.